Have You Been Crying?
by I wish my username was cooler
Summary: Raph's run off after a fight with Leo. He finds himself wandering the city, sullen and moody. Until he meets a stranger. Pepper spray is involved, along with shoes.


Raph huffed. He'd had another fight with Leo. Now he was running across rooftops, muttering under his breath.

"Stupid Fearless… Doesn't understand… Why can't he just… Ugh!"

He slowed to a stop long enough to throw a few punches at the air and kick a can over the edge of the roof. Then he was running again. The wind felt amazing against his hot skin as he sped across building after building.

He'd lost track of time when he finally stopped, panting heavily. When he looked up he realized he'd run more than halfway across town. By now he couldn't even remember what he'd been angry about. He knew Leo had something to do with it, but that wasn't new. He rested his arms on the parapet and stared out at the city.

He'd never get over the nighttime city, with its bright lights and bustling inhabitants. From his vantage point he could watch all the people below him, walking quickly to wherever they were headed. After a few moments he sighed. This street was too busy, someone might see him. He turned and headed back the way he'd come.

He'd gone only a few blocks when he heard the scream. It was high pitched, definitely a girl. He turned to the right and ran faster. He finally saw her. Just across the street. She stood on a balcony with someone else, a man. He was on one knee, something in his hand. Raph realized what it was, just as the girl flung her arms around the man's neck and kissed him. The turtle watched for a moment, and then turned away. He resumed his course, heading back in the direction of the Lair.

He was only a few blocks away from his usual entrance to the sewers when he heard another feminine scream. This one muffled and followed by cries for help. He sprinted to an alley a few roofs away. Below him lay an interesting scene.

A woman sat on the ground with her back pressed against the wall at the end of the alley, a can of what looked like pepper spray in her hands. In front of her stood, or lay in one's case, three men, the one clawing at his face desperately. One of the men, the leader it looked like, approached the woman with a knife in his hand. She pointed her pepper spray, but he leapt forward and wrestled it out of her hand. The man then continued to haul her to her feet, with one arm around her neck. She clawed at the arm, struggling to breathe.

Raph had seen enough. He crept down the fire escape, listening to the men jeer at the poor woman. Finally, he was close enough. He threw a well aimed shuriken, followed by a leap. He landed on top of the man who'd been pepper sprayed, and had just barely gotten to his feet. The shuriken stabbed into the leader's arm. He let go of the woman with a cry of pain.

She stumbled away, stopping when she hit the corner of the alley, and shrank into a ball.

Raph made quick work of the thugs, leaving them strewn on the ground, beaten and bruised. He watched the woman as he stood hidden in the deep shadows of the alley. She scrambled to her feet, picking up her belongings from where they had fallen. A purse, wallet, phone, and, of course, the pepper spray. Then she looked around the dark alley.

"Are you there?"

Raph hesitated for just a moment. She started towards the mouth of the alley.

"Yes."

She froze, and then turned. She looked at him. Well, near him.

"Can… can I see you? Please?"

"No."

"But…"

"I said no!"

She winced at the harsh tone in his voice. "I-I'm sorry. I just… I wanted to…"

He sighed

"Please." Her voice was quiet, the word almost inaudible.

It pierced Raph. He hesitated, ready to deny her again. But then he changed his mind. He nodded slightly.

"Fine."

He avoided her eyes as he stepped into the light. He heard her take a sharp breath… and then nothing. He looked up to make sure she was still there. She was. She didn't look like she was breathing. Raph started to panic. He stepped towards her, hands held out in front of him.

"Are you okay?"

She screamed. She screamed long and loud. Raph winced. She kept screaming. A light across the street turned on. Finally she stopped. Raph looked up. Only to be met with a cloud of mist that clung to his skin and burned. Some of it got into his eyes, causing him to rub at them frantically.

"What the shell, lady! What's your prob-"

She swung her purse at his head, and hit. He stumbled backwards, his head throbbing and his face burning. He was still blind, so he didn't see the woman take off her high heeled shoe and fling it at him, followed closely by the other. The first hit his arm, the second his head. He yelped and backpedaled so quickly he hit the wall of the alley.

And then she was gone. Running down the sidewalk as fast as her shoeless feet would carry her. All the way to her apartment, where she then dialed the police and hysterically tried to explain what had happened, to the officer on the other end.

Raph still stood in the alley, the burning in his eyes gradually decreasing. By the time he had made it to the roof again and thoroughly cursed humans, himself, and whoever invented pepper spray, he could see again, for the most part. When they were completely clear again, he was perched on the high ledge of a business building, occasionally rubbing at his eyes.

"What are you doing up here?! Do you realize how worried we were? How could you do something so stupid?! You're such a… Have you been crying?"

Raph had turned around halfway through Leo's lecture, his face still red and puffy.

"NO! Some lady had pepper spray."

"Oh."

Leo sat on the ledge next to him. They stared out at the city.

"I'm sorry, bro. I shouldn't have made you leave the Lair."

"Eh, don't be. I was probably the one who started the fight in the first place."

"True… To be honest, I don't even remember what we were fighting about."

Raph snorted. "Me neither."

Leo half smiled. "Sometimes we can be pretty stupid, huh?"

"Yeah."

It was quiet for a few more minutes. Until Mikey's unmistakable shout cut through the air.

"There you are! Do you realize how worried we were? You can be such an idiot sometimes, Raph! Have… have you been crying?"

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><p><strong>The End!<strong>

**This is just a short little oneshot I wrote on a burst of inspiration. Thanks for reading it. You are a fabulous person. Remember that.**


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